Banana duct-taped to wall sells for $6.2 million at auction

Created by Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan, the artwork titled "Comedian" first gained notoriety at Art Basel Miami Beach in 2019.

The installation, consisting of a single yellow banana affixed to a white wall with silver duct tape, sparked both fascination and controversy.

The artwork's unique nature and its ability to generate discussion and debate led to its instant success. However, it also faced challenges, including an incident where an artist, David Datuna, removed the banana from the wall and ate it.

Despite this, the artwork's value continued to rise. Three editions of "Comedian" were sold for between $120,000 and $150,000.

The recent auction at Sotheby's took the art world by surprise, with the final hammer price reaching $5.2 million, plus additional fees, totaling over $6.2 million. The buyer, who remains anonymous, purchased a certificate of authenticity, granting them the right to create their own version of the artwork by attaching a banana to a wall with duct tape.

This extraordinary sale underscores the unique and often unpredictable nature of the art market, where conceptual art can command astonishing prices. (ILKHA)